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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the Royals really aren't normal are they?

74 replies

PompholyxOfUnknownOrigin · 12/04/2018 19:19

Prince Philip has been in hospital since 4th April. Today his daughter went to visit him, the first member of his family to do so since he was admitted, according to the BBC.
I'm sure he is being very well looked after but surely some other relatives could have visited before now?

OP posts:

loveless0 · 13/04/2018 01:30

I read the blind and it said bladder cancer they are right most of the time.

EnidButton · 13/04/2018 01:33

If it's anything like my experience of elderly relatives in hospital after operations, they haven't visited yet because every time they offer he tells them there's no point because he'll be discharged the next day

I've had relatives be really pissed off and angry when they've had visitors after saying they don't want anyone. A lot of people, but especially elderly men ime, really dislike 'fuss' as they see it. Visiting someone who expressly says they don't want visitors- and means it- would be for the visitors benefit not the patient.

In this case I think he will have had people visit but it hasn't been publicised. Or there have been lots of phone calls.

I'm sure he'll be very well looked after. He's not going to be on a poky, noisy, brightly lit ward, with sparce overworked staff, no tv and 3 other people. Which is fine, just saying he's not in the usual crappy surroundings that I think some people are imagining. Still shit to be ill and not at home but not so in need of visitors as he might be.

Truscum · 13/04/2018 01:41

My father hated anyone visiting him when he was in hospital (which was quite often due to his bowel condition)

He screamed at me (quite high morphine and was a bit out of it) once because I took some food/books to drop in when he’d been in there for a while.

My DM did try to warn me.

StealthPolarBear · 13/04/2018 06:24

To the people who think it's 'odd' what exactly is the suggestion?

biscuitraider · 13/04/2018 10:48

This is why him and the queen have lived healthily for so long. The best medical care going. If everyone was looked after as well as them two the country would be full of sprightly 90 year olds, and getting called "hard working".

Mightymucks · 13/04/2018 11:18

Some people don’t want to be seen when they’re vulnerable and he certainly seems like that type.

Plus, a lot of the time when families visit in hospital it is to assist with care like feeding or dressing, keeping them company and bringing books and magazines to pass the time. They won’t need to do any of that because his valet etc will be with him the whole time.

But they’re not normal no. The Q and Prince P left Anne and Charles with the QM when they were very small to go to live on a naval base in Malta and all their children went to boarding school. When they are together it’s not like a normal family, it’s formal and they still have to follow lots of daft rules and protocol.

Mightymucks · 13/04/2018 11:22

biscuits, it’s also very much genetics. Hanoverians are a long lived family. George III lived until he was 81 without modern medicine which was unusual then. Quite a few of his children had long lives too.

Aragog · 13/04/2018 11:29

I suspect they have been in contact with him either through phone calls or video calls. Just not in person. It would be easier to sort out the former by staff, than visits in person. Its not quite as easy as one of us rocking up to the hospital to visit a loved one.

This is why him and the queen have lived healthily for so long.

Its way more than that. Genetics play a part, as well as good medical care and living conditions.

DH's grandad died last year in his mid 90s. I have three grandparents currently in the 90s - one of them is particularly sprightly with weekly dancing, drives safely, always on the go. None of these were privledged in their backgrounds. Infact the latter I mention has always lived and brought up in a working class background, council housing, single mother of 7 for a while, not a great area where they have lived/now live, rely on basic state pension and basic state health system.

However, based on my ancestry research, my family seem to have, on average, fairly long lives despite being working class, low earning people.

AJPTaylor · 13/04/2018 11:37

I assume he doesnt want visitors. Who can blame him? Presumably his family dont feel the need to ensure that he is being fed, has water he can actually reach or need to check by looking someone in the eye that the next treatment/scan etc is actually going to happen.

gingernut45 · 13/04/2018 11:41

Apparently he doesn't like a fuss and that's why. Maybe they were able to sneak in without a fuss too?

If I was a royal I'd feel bad having to go somewhere with all the security and organising involved.

Prince harry recently visited belfast and the whole street was out of action for hours before hand. The amount of resources needed and money used to accommodate that visit would be incredible. Perhaps they are happy to call him and not have all the hassle for the public to complain about the cost?

TSSDNCOP · 13/04/2018 11:43

My dad 86 didn’t want visitors, he wanted to concentrate on getting better not having conversations.

SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy · 13/04/2018 12:08

I would be 99% certain that others have absolutely visited him (I know for a fact of at least one other family member that has been to see him several times) but they do so in private and very very discreetly in order to not make a fuss, as per his request.

biscuitraider · 13/04/2018 12:15

mightymucks maybe partly genetics but i think good living standards back in the day will have contributed a lot. On the whole poor people died a lot younger than the upper classes.

biscuitraider · 13/04/2018 12:19

Remember the queen shaking a very young Charles by the hand after a very long jaunt away from them all. No definitely not normal.

BertrandRussell · 13/04/2018 12:20

Probably none of the others can get time off work.....

biscuitraider · 13/04/2018 12:24

Or maybe too tired after a long day of it. Hard life being a royal.

CoperCabana · 13/04/2018 12:30

I was in hospital once and the queen came to open a department or something. On the day, the whole hospital was on lock down. All surgery was cancelled. All lifts were put out of service. No hot food could be cooked. In preparation, half the hospital had to be redecorated and the church opposite (!) had to be cleaned. So thank goodness she doesn’t make a habit of visiting people in hospital!

BertrandRussell · 13/04/2018 12:33

Probably hard to get a baby sitter too.......

Aragog · 13/04/2018 12:49

He's been discharged today anyway hasn't he?

crunchymint · 13/04/2018 12:54

Just to add, not talking about the Royal Family, but sometimes relatives have very good reasons not to visit an elderly relative. If my brother was incapacitated I would arrange his care in a home, but like hell would I visit him.

biscuitraider · 13/04/2018 12:56

They really are more trouble than they're worth. The cost to local councils for a visit by even a minor royal is enormous, even for a fleeting visit. They are just ORDINARY PEOPLE, we need to stop the bowing and scraping, it's ridiculous.

Trooperslane2 · 13/04/2018 12:59

After binge watching The Crown, which seemed plausible...

I'm not surprised..... they aren't 'normal' - whatever that means, because they can't be.

They have different values and priorities to us ones.

StealthPolarBear · 13/04/2018 19:47

He's out now anyway.

saison4 · 13/04/2018 19:54

did you only register this now, OP? of course they are not normal. never been.

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